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The Balanced Brain

The Science of Mental Health

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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

There are many routes to mental wellbeing. In this ground-breaking book, neuroscientist Camilla Nord offers a fascinating tour of the scientific and technological developments that are revolutionizing the way we think about mental health, showing why and how events - and treatments - can affect people in such different ways.

In The Balanced Brain, Nord reveals how the small things we do to lift our mood during the course of a day - a piece of chocolate, a coffee, chatting to a friend - often work on the same pathways in our brain as the latest pharmacological treatments for mental health disorders. Whether they help us to manage pain, learn from experience or expend energy on the things that are important for our survival, these conscious actions are part of a complex self-regulating process that is unique to each individual and the constant backdrop to our everyday lives. With so many factors at play, there are more possibilities for recovery and resilience than we might think.

©2023 Camilla Nord (P)2023 Penguin Audio Biological Sciences Mental Health Neuroscience & Neuropsychology Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Science Health Human Brain

Critic reviews

Simply brilliant. This is science writing at its best. If you want to understand mental health - really understand it - read this book (Nichola Raihani)
This excellent book is a breath of fresh air . . . anyone reading it will come away with a kinder, better understanding of themselves. A clear-thinking tour of the latest research from a leading mental health scientist and an accessible exploration of how our bodies and minds make us feel the way we do - for better or worse (Lucy Foulkes)

Extremely relevant . . . a highly readable synthesis of the neuroscience underpinning mental health and its treatment (Simon Baron-Cohen)
All stars
Most relevant
I thoroughly enjoyed every part of this audio book and feel like I've learnt so much. This will be something I will re-listen to easily.

Absolutely fascinating

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Not a very engaging read but it provides a very balanced perspective on modern day cognitive neuroscience and its relevance to mental health treatments without unnecessary hype or attempts to sell you anything.

“Balanced” review on current state of mental health research

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Learnt a lot listening - really enjoyed the way this book was intelligent and nuanced but also accessible. Helps make sense of so many things and experiences.

Brilliant book - puts our brains & world in context

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Lots of neuroscience in this book, with lots of descriptions of experiments, which I really like but may not be everyone's cup of tea? Interesting reviews of what we know (and still don't know!) on all kinds of brain-related topics - the placebo effect, how antidepressants and LSD do (& sometimes don't!) work, the ongoing debate on ECT use, the relevance of sleep and lifestyle factors in mental illness, etc. Some practical advice but it's mostly about increasing our understanding of how our brains work, which is a mighty interesting field. The author is not a great narrator, unfortunately.

Neuroscience

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